Now
wait just a minute, Heavy Seas Brewing Company of Halethorpe, Maryland. You
expect me to believe that your Deep Six Porter is an English-style
porter? If so, it’s really not like any English-style porter that I’ve ever
had. So, just for fun, I’m going to compare it to Samuel Smith’s Taddy
Porter, one of my all-time favorite English-brewed examples of the style and
a beer Michael Jackson once described as “One of the world’s five best
beers.”

Before we go head to head though, a little background is in order. I’ve not
seen this beer in stores here in Georgia yet, but ordered up a big mug of it
at my local Taco Mac the other day. It was a bit pricey at $6.50 for a pint
(20 ounce mug in my case), but not prohibitively so. Here’s what Heavy Seas
says about the beer:

Rich, malty, and complex with a surprisingly dry finish, this robust
English-style porter is never cloying and wonderfully drinkable. A dense tan
head portends the chocolate, roasty, brownie batter flavor. Marris otter
barley imported from the UK imparts a deep nuttiness accentuated by the
unique english (sic) yeast strain…. The
complex balance comes from imported UK target and fuggle (sic)
hops, contributing earthy, herbaceous, tea-like notes. The result is a hefty
brew that walks the fine line between eminent drinkability and overwhelming
flavor impact.

So
there it is, English malts, English hops, English yeast strain. Where the
two beers diverge, however, is strength. Deep Six Porter clocks in at a
hefty 6.8% by volume with 25 IBUs, and that’s a lot for a porter folks.
Taddy Porter is closer to the norm at 5%. Flavorwise, the two beers are
compatible too. Here’s what I thought of the Deep Six:

My
mug of Heavy Seas Deep Six Porter arrived an opaque jet black color
with a thin creamy tan head formation and a massive, simply massive amount
of licorice in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a thick full mouthfeel
greater than the norm for the style, and powerful notes of chocolate,
roasted espresso, and a boatload of licorice. All that is followed up by a
huge dry roasty bitter finish with just a hint of herbal grassy English
hops.

Here’s what I said about Taddy Porter:

“smooth and chocolaty, a hint of butter, a tad (pun intended) roasty,
coffeeish, and gently roasty bitter in the finish…the roast notes combine
with licorice and bittersweet chocolate. “

Coffee, chocolate, roasted barley, and certainly licorice are all hallmarks
of the style that thee beers have in common. Certainly, Heavy Seas Deep Six
Porter is a robust porter while the Taddy is more of a mild porter, but the
body and strength of Deep Six are so much greater than the norm that this
struck me more like a foreign stout than a porter.

However you want to peg it, I was amazed by this delicious beer and lingered
over every gentle pull. It was so delicious that I almost ordered a second
mug; sadly time did not permit. Heavy Seas Deep Six Porter is a seasonal
beer from January until it's gone. It’s not a beer I would miss if I were
you. Which I’m obviously not, but don’t miss it all the same.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.